she to avoid that came secretly as I have reason to believe in the dead of the night and took my Son from my bosom whilst I was fast asleep and laid her dead child in my bosom in the room of it for she had rather I suppose have a living child though anothers than her own dead and had rather nurse up my child instead of her own than have it said that by her own carelesness and negligence she had been the cause of the death of her own Son And when I arose in the morning to give my child suck behold I found it dead but when I had better considered of the matter and laid circumstances together I found it was not my Son that I did bear and I hope I shall find so much justice from the King as to return my own child to me again Then the other woman spake for her self and said Nay but my Lord O King let this woman say what she will I do peremptorily affirm that the living child is my Son and the dead is hers Thus they contested before the King both the one and the other challenging the living child for hers the case was very difficult for first both the children were almost of an age 2ly Their features in their infancy might be something alike 3ly No body was by when this fact was done that might give evidence on either side 4ly The mother that challenged the living child confessed she was asleep and so did not see when her child was stollen away 5ly The parties contending for the child were of a like reputation the one deserving no more credit than the other All these things considered the case seem'd so difficult that one would have thought the wit of man could not determine it Solomon having heard what they said on both sides according to the wisdom that God had given him presently call'd for a sword and bad one of his servants take the living child and divide him in twain and give half to the one and half to the other But the woman whose the living child really was found her bowels so yerning upon this that she cried out O my Lord give her I pray thee the child let her take him whole in no case divide him I had rather she should have him whole than that he should be slain But the other woman being of an envious disposition and not willing that her neighbour should enjoy what she wanted she cried out For my part seeing the King hath so determined the matter let the Kings sentence stand let it be neither mine nor hers but let it be divided The King by the different affection that he discerned in these two women quickly perceived which was the true mother and accordingly gave the living child unto her And all Israel heard of the judgment the King had given in this case and all sorts of persons highly honoured him for it for they saw that an extraordinary measure of the wisdom of God was in him that enabled him to give righteous judgment 1 King Ch. 3. from v. 16 to the end SECT CCXIX. HIram King of Tyre as also of Zidon for the Sidonians likewise were his subjects v. 9. had been always a great lover of David and hearing that Solomon his Son was advanc'd to the Throne of Israel he sent his Ambassadours to congratulate him Solomon receiv'd them very kindly and having entertained them for some time by them he sent a message to their Master to this effect He acquaints him that his Father David by reason of the many wars wherein he was almost continually engaged could not build an house for the Lord as he really intended and he supposed his Father had acquainted him with that his intention there being so great a friendship between them but the Lord having now advanc'd him to the Throne in his Fathers room and having given him rest on every side so that he had neither adversary nor evil occurrent to hinder him he resolv'd to fall upon the work and to build an house for the glory of the Lord his God as the Lord had promised unto his Father he should do he therefore requested this favour of him that as he had helped his Father to Timber (a) It seems most of Lebanon was in the land of Tyre though it were the Northern bound of the land of Canaan and though David in his life-time had provided many materials as Cedar-trees and many workmen yet it seems more were wanting which Solomon now takes care to provide wherewith to build his own Palace so he would please to help him also to Timber to build the house that he intended to build for the honour of God For the house says he that I intend to build must be great and magnificent the God for whose Worship I intend it being great above all Gods And indeed who is able to build an house for him seeing the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him It were a vain thing for me to think of building an house for him who is infinite except only to worship him in and that is the end I aim at Send me therefore I pray thee a man skilful to work in Gold and Silver in Brass and Iron in Purple Crimson and Blew and one that can grave that he may join with the cunning men that are here with me in Judah and Jerusalem whom my Father did provide for this purpose See 1 Chron. 22.15 And I pray thee grant me Cedar-trees Firr-trees and Algum-trees for this work and command thy servants to cut them down and hew them for me and I will send my servants to help and assist them therein and I will give thy servants twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat * That is of wheat beaten out of the ear and severed from the chaff we call it clean wheat and as many of barley and twenty thousand baths of wine and as many of oyl for their wages and provision or if this do not like thee I will give whatsoever thy self shall appoint Hiram sent an answer to Solomon and writ to him after this manner It is a great sign and evidence to me that God loves that people because he hath made thee King over them And blessed be the Lord God of Israel who made Heaven and Earth for giving to David such a wise Son and for enduing him with so great a measure of prudence and understanding that he might build an house for the honour of God and for the honour of his Kingdom As for thy request to me concerning Cedar-trees Firr-trees and Timber for that great work behold all thy desires are granted My servants shall cut down and hew out sufficient Timber for thee and I will convey it to thee by Sea in flotes to Joppa or any other place thou shalt appoint I have also sent thee a very skilful and expert artificer whose name is Hiram whose Father was of the Tribe †He is called a Tyrian because he lived there
over to his Company and he halted upon his Thigh But 't is probable he was suddenly cured of it by the Angel before he came at his Brother Esau Therefore the Israelites to perpetuate the memory of this Honour which God vouchsaf'd to Jacob in this Conflict did forbear even till Moses time and after to eat of that Sinew in the Thigh of any Creature which in Jacob was Sinew-shrunk Gen. 32. whole Chapter SECT XXX JAcob now approaching near to his Brother Esau he marshalled his Company in this manner In the Fore-front he placed the Hand-Maids and their Children next Leah and her's then Rachel and Joseph placing that which was dearest to him furthest off from danger and before all he marches himself in Person trusting in God Coming now in sight of his Brother who came magnificently attended with a Train of 400 men he bowed himself seven times (z) Ut tam inusitatâ humilitate animum ferocem frangeret to the ground at several distances and coming up near to him Esau whose heart now God had wonderfully altered ran to meet him and imbracing him fell on his Neck and kissed him They both wept for joy (a) Ch. 29.11 56.29 Luk. 15.20 Prov. 16.7 V. 5. Sine dubio uxores etiam indicavit licet brevitatis Causa ut multa taceat scriptura to see one another after so long an absence After their mutual embracings were over Jacob's Wives and Children came near bowing themselves to the ground Esau ask'd him Whose those were that came with him He answered They are my Wives and the Children that God hath graciously given thy Servant He asked him then What he meant by these great Flocks he had met Jacob tells him He sent them to testifie his Respects to him and that he might find grace in his sight Esau replied alas My Brother I have much wealth I have enough (b) Observant quidam in Esaui sermone laconismum imperiosum nec ullam Dei factam mentionem contra quidem in Jacobi Esau owns not God as the giver of it as Jacob did why shouldst thou deprive thy self of what thou hast gotten But Jacob answered nay I pray thee accept my Present for I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of an Angel (c) Vox Elohim interdum pro Angelis usurpatur Vid. Ps 8.5 Ita sensus est vultus tuus tam serenus graciosus mihi apparuit quam vultus Angeli that is It is unspeakably comfortable to me that thou art pleas'd with me and so kind and friendly unto me therefore I pray thee accept of what I have presented thee with it being of that wherewith God hath graciously blessed me (d) Esau owns not God as the giver of all as Jacob did For he hath dealt very graciously and bountifully with me and of his goodness I have all (e) Omnia mihi suppetunt nulla re indigeo Vat. things needful and am abundantly supplied Esau after much intreaty accepts of his Present and offers with his Company to Conduct him on in his Journey But Jacob civilly refused that kindness representing to him that his Children were tender and many of the Cattel with young and therefore they must not be over-driven for fear of danger to them Therefore says he let my Lord be pleased with his Train to go before and I will softly follow after as my Company and my Flocks are able to bear and as soon as conveniently I can I will come and wait upon my Lord at Seir. (f) And it is probable that Jacob with a few of his Servants did shortly after give him a visit at Seir and staid there a while for 't is not like that he would so soon by so manifest a contempt or neglect provoke afresh his new reconciled Brother Esau then offered to leave some of his men with him to guard him But Jacob humbly told him there was no need of it and therefore he would not give him or his people that trouble Esau thereupon took his leave of him and marched to Seir the place where he dwelt and Jacob kept on his way till he came to Succoth as it was afterwards called where he built (g) But before He did this 't is probable He went to visit his aged Father Isaac and then returned to Succoth him an House that is some slight building for present use and made Booths for his Cattel and then passing over Jordan he pitched his Tent before Shalem a City of the Sychemites afterwards called Sychar John 4.5 And here he bought a piece of Land for his present use as Abraham did the Field of Machpelah Gen. 23.17 18. of the Children or Subjects of Hamor Shechem's Father the Prince of the Country for an 100 Lambs or an 100 pieces of Silver bearing the Figure or Impression of a Lamb. * Pecunia a pecude See Jos 24.32 Acts 7.16 and here (h) This was the portion of Land which Jacob on his Death-bed in Egypt gave to his Son Joseph Gen. 48.22 and here it was that Christ had a Conference with the woman of Samaria Joh. 4.5 And here was Jacob's Well near Mount Gerizim he built an Altar and called it The Altar of God the God of Israel which he erected in a pious and grateful Memorial of Gods favour in giving him according to his new Name power not only to prevail with Himself for a Blessing but with his Brother Esau also to divert his wrath And this Altar was built in the self same place where Abraham before had built his first Altar Gen. 12.6 7. Gen. 33. whole Chapter SECT XXXI DUring Jacob's abode here his Daughter Dinah about 15 years (i) Sic Cornelius A lapide of Age going forth out of Curiosity to see the Daughters of the Land probably at some Feast (k) Quae tunc ad Festum convenerunt Joseph Antiq. lib. 1. c. 27. or Fair or Publick Solemnity and to please her phansie by gazing on Foreign Fashions was seiz'd upon by Shechem Son of Hamor Prince of the Country and defiled This young Prince was so greatly inamoured of Dinah that his Soul clave to her and he spake very kindly to her to appease her for the injury he had done her and the Rape he had committed upon her and strove by all the fair words he could use to draw her to Consent to marry him And that he might succeed in his Design he prayed his Father to procure that Damosel for him to be his Wife So that even among Heathens we see it was usual for Children to marry with the Consent and Direction of their Parents Jacob understanding by some that went out with Dinah how it had fared with her was exceedingly troubled at it yet he vented not any passion but in silence ruled his spirit till he could speak with his Sons who were then in the Field with the Cattel and could advise with them what was fit to be done
afterwards gave him Zipporah (z) Patriarcha ex cognatione suâ filiis uxores capiebant ne illae filios a religione averterent Sed Joseph Moses illo metu liberi ex Gentilibus uxores duxerunt nec ab illis aversi sunt a religione sed eas converterunt his Daughter to wife who bare him a Son whom he called Gershom whereby he intimated that he was a Stranger in that Land and yet God had comfortably provided for him Another Son he had also afterwards by her whom he called Eliezer Ch. 18. 4. by which name He signified that God was his helper In process of time that cruel Tyrant Pharaoh of whom Moses was so much afraid died but though the Tyrant was gone yet the Tyranny remained for another Pharaoh arose who made the Burdens and Afflictions of the Children of Israel as heavy or heavier than they were before They sighed and cried unto the Lord by reason of their Oppressions and God heard their groaning and remembred his Covenant which he had made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob to own them for his People and accordingly resolved to deliver them in such ways as were most for the Honour of his Great Name and for their profit and advantage Exod. 2. from vers 16. to the end SECT LVII ABout this time Caleb the Son of Jephunneh was born viz. forty years before he was sent by Moses to spy out the Land of Canaan See Josh 14.7 10. SECT LVIII MOses since he came into Jethro's Family had as it seems betaken himself to the Pastoral Employment as an exercise that allowed great liberty and opportunity for Contemplation And keeping his Father-in-laws Sheep in the Desert that he might provide fresh Pastures for them he drave them to the further side of the Desert nigh to Mount Horeb. (a) This Mountain seems like Parnassus to have had two tops one called Sinai the other Horeb. Called in this place by anticipation the Mountain of God because here God afterwards in so wonderful a manner appeared to Moses and gave him the Law and made a Covenant with the people Here Christ the eternal Son of God the Messenger or Angel (b) Magni concilii Angelus Dei voluntatem nobis nunâ—iavit of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 appeared to him out of a burning Bush which though it burnt yet it was not consumed Moses being stricken with admiration at the sight and not knowing at first what to think of it he determined to approach nearer to it hoping thereby better to inform himself The Lord calls to him out of the midst of the Bush Moses Moses Moses hearing himself called by his Name answered Here I am The Lord then charged him not to draw too nigh to the Bush but to put off his shooes that is that he should in all humility present himself before Him as a poor Caytiff not worthy to stand in the presence of so great a Majesty He further tells him That the place whereon he stood was holy Ground that is made holy at this time through the presence and apparition of God without which it was but like other Ground And therefore by that outward expression he should testifie the inward reverence of his mind Moreover the Lord said I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Abraham (c) The Lord expressing this as in the present Tense I am the God of Abraham c. speaking of men long since dead it was doubtless not only in regard of the Immortality of their Souls but also in regard of the certain Resurrection of their Bodies too And therefore our Saviour alledges this place to prove the Resurrection of the Body against the Sadduces Mat. 22.31 32. Isaac and Jacob to whom I promised to be their God and the God of their Seed after them Moses hearing this hid his Face (d) So Elijah wrapped his face in a Mantle 1 King 19.13 See Esay 6.3 out of an awful Reverence of so great a Majesty being afraid through a sense of his own vileness to look up towards God The Lord further said unto Moses I have seen the Affliction of my People in Egypt and heard their Cry Then speaking of Himself after the manner of men He tells him He was come down (e) See Gen. 11.7 18.21 35.13 to deliver them out of their Bondage and to bring them into a good and large Land (f) Though Judea contain'd in length from Dan to Bâ—ersheba but an 160 and in breadth from Joppa to Jordan but 60 miles yet it may be called large in respect of Goshen where the Israelites for the most part dwelt See Gen. 13.14 15. a Land flowing with Milk and Honey and He intended to send him to speak to Pharaoh to let his People go So that the secret Inspiration which Moses had before from God Exod. 2.11 is here now advanced to an open Call and full Commission At his first Call he was very forward and killed the Egyptian but since his flight out of Egypt he was become more cautious Therefore he said unto the Lord Who am I a mean man that I should go to Pharaoh a great proud and tyrannical Prince and should think to deliver a distressed People out of his Power The Lord answered I will certainly be with thee so that thou needst not fear either thy own Weakness or the Power of them to whom I send thee And this present Apparition of mine out of the burning but not burned Bush shall be a Token and Evidence to thee that at this time I have sent thee And hereafter when thou hast brought the people out of Egypt this may further serve to strengthen thy Faith in my Power and Providence over them I do now foretell thee Ye shall serve me upon this Mountain Moses conceiving himself now after so many years absence in a manner unknown to the Children of Israel he begins to think that they might question Whither indeed he was sent of God or no and might demand of him under what Name or Title God had made known Himself to him If that should so happen he humbly desires to know by what Name or Title the Lord would please to be mention'd to them seeing many of his Names were abused by application of them to Idols The Lord answers If thou enquirest concerning my Name I am that I am Therefore go and tell the Children of Israel That I AM hath sent thee unto them and further tell them That the Lord God of their Fathers the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob hath sent thee unto them and tell them This is my Name for ever and this is my Memorial unto all Generations that is by this Name shall all Generations remember Me. Go then therefore and call the Heads of the Tribes of the Children of Israel together and deliver this Message to them that they may acquaint their Brethren of the several Tribes here-with and tell them That I have by the watchful Eye
Vermine (g) V. 17. All the dust of the Land became Lice An hyperbolical Speech The Magicians also try their Skill again and accordingly they smote the dust of the ground with their Rods as Aaron had done and endeavoured to do the like but all in vain (h) Non potuerunt Deo eos impediente ut se ostenderet maximum in minimis For here God confounded their Enchantments in a thing most vile wherein yet he honoured himself For he so restrained the Devil and disabled these Magicians his Servants that they could neither make Lice nor make a shew of them So that they were forced to acknowledge to Pharaoh That this was the Finger of God (i) Fuit haec non productio naturalis sed divina Creatio qualis hominis ex pulvere and that this Miracle was wrought by the Power of the Almighty and not by Art or Sorcery which they should have acknowledged of all the rest of the Miracles wrought by Moses and Aaron but their Master the Devil would not permit them to do it However though the Lice continued both upon Man (k) Such little Creatures armed with Power from God can punish the greatest Tyrant as Herod Acts 12.23 and Beast yet Pharaoh's heart was still hardened so that he would not hearken unto Moses as the Lord had before told him Exod. Ch. 8. from 16. to 20. Fourth Plague Flies Wasps and Hornets 4. It being usual with Pharaoh to walk in the Morning by the River-side Moses is sent again to meet him there and to require him in the Lords Name to let the people go and to acquaint Him That if he refused to do it God would send upon him and his people swarms of Flies Wasps and Hornets and such noysome Insects which should fill their Houses and vex and sting them and they should swarm in all the Land where the Egyptians dwelt but should not come into Goshen where the Israelites dwelt and then they should know to their Cost that the Lord Jehovah was the only Ruler in the whole Earth and that he would put a difference between his own People and the Egyptians and would deliver them from that Judgment which should be the portion of the Egyptians And he tells him This thing should come to pass the next morning Pharaoh not regarding this threatning the very next morning there came a grievous swarm of divers sorts of Flies (l) We read not of any use made of Moses s Rod to bring this Plague and 't is like it was not used that it might appear the power of those Plagues was not in the Rod but in the Hand of God see Psal 78.45 Psal 105.31 into the house of Pharaoh and his Servants and into all the Land of Egypt So that the people of Egypt were wonderfully annoyed with them and as it seems several of them destroyed by them Pharaoh being now terrified with this Plague He yields thus far That the Israelites should have liberty to Sacrifice to the Lord their God provided they went not out of Egypt to do it (m) So that it seems they were not suffered during their bondage in Egypt openly to offer Sacrifice to the Lord. What they did this way was done in a private manner This Moses would not accept of but requires they may have liberty to go three days Journey into the Wilderness to offer this Sacrifice For says he if we should in Egypt offer unto our God Oxen Cows Calves and Bullocks which the Egyptians exhibit Divine Honour unto it would seem an abominable thing unto them and they would be ready to stone us Pharaoh tells them They shall then go into the Wilderness provided they would not go very far and would pray for him that this Plague may be removed Moses promises that they would pray for him but intreats him to be true and faithful to his word and promise and not to deal any more deceitfully with them Moses goes out accordingly and and intreats the Lord to remove this Plague from Pharaoh and his People and the Lord was pleased presently to do it So that the next day this dreadful host of Flies Wasps and Hornets was quite gone But though the Plague was removed yet Pharaoh's obstinacy was not for he would not yet let the People go Exod. Ch. 8. from 20. to the end 5. Fifth Plague Murrain on Beasts Upon the first day of the seventh Month which was shortly after made the first month of the Year God Commands Moses to go to Pharaoh again and to tell him That if he would not let his People go but did obstinately keep them still he would smite all sorts of his Cattel with a grievous Murrain viz. Horses Asses Camels Oxen and Sheep and this Judgment he tells him shall be inflicted the very next day And so accordingly it was by which the generality (n) V. 6. All his Cattel died all is here to be taken Communiter not Universaliter viz. for the greater or most considerable number For some Cattel were assuredly killed by the Hail as we find Exod. 9.25 And in the tenth Plague the First-born of Beasts were destroyed by the Angel of the Cattel of the Egyptians died but of the Cattel of tne Children of Israel died not one And Pharaoh sent into Goshen to see whether the Cattel of the Children of Israel had escaped and he found it was so Yet notwithstanding his heart was hardened and swelled with pride and malice against the Children of Israel so that he would not let them go Exod. Ch. 9. from vers 1. to 8. 6. Sixth Plague Blains and Boils About the third day of this Month God intending to bring a Sixth Plague upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians He Commands Moses and Aaron to go to him and to take handfuls of ashes out of the Furnace and to sprinkle the ashes towards Heaven to intimate to Pharaoh that the Plague came from the God of Heaven and that as he and his people had oppressed the Israelites with Furnace-work in forcing them to burn Brick for them so they now should be punished with burning Sores (o) Ulceribus calore saniâ— turgidis caused by ashes taken out of the Furnace And Moses and Aaron did as God commanded and they sprinkled handfuls of ashes towards Heaven which miraculously by the mighty Power of God became a Cloud of small dust over-spreading the whole Land of Egypt and so fell down both upon Man and Beast And this dust where it fell caused Blains and Boils and as it seems of an extraordinary nature for they are thus described Deut. 28.27 The Boils of Egypt which cannot be cured And the Magicians themselves who it seems continued to harden and embolden Pharaoh not to be moved with the things done by Moses telling him as 't is probable that they were done by Magick and were still at hand to resist Moses and Aaron as far as they could were now smitten with these
Providence see Mat. 6.11 However some of them were so Disobedient that they reserved some of it till next morning and it bred Worms and stank which Disobedience of theirs much provoked Moses to be angry with them 2. They were to gather it in the morning betimes For when the Sun waxed hot it melted 3. On the sixth day they were to gather twice as much as on other days namely two Omers for one person which order when the people observed the Elders and Rulers came and told Moses thereof doubting whether they did well therein seeing an Omer and no more was their fixed allowance for one day Hereupon Moses tells them That the next day was an holy Sabbath to the Lord and on that day (c) From whence some infer the antiquity and morality of the Sabbath this happening before the giving the Law on Mount Sinai no Mannah should fall and therefore on the sixth day they had a double allowance and on that day they were to bake or seeth of their Mannah what they thought fit to eat thereof that day and to reserve the remainder for the Sabbath-day and though reserved to that day it should not stink or breed Worms as one other days if kept it would do Yet some of the people were so unbelieving and disobedient that they went out on the Sabbath-day to seek Mannah but found none for which God was angry with them and charged them not to go out on the Sabbath-day any more to seek it but to observe that day unto him which the people accordingly did On this kind of bread they lived afterwards by the space of forty years * Comederant Man 40 annis tanquam cibum ordinarium cui non erat vetitum carnes vel cibos alios adjungere si quos vel venatu vel emptione a vicinis gentibus consequebantur ut apparet ex Deut. 2.6 Janson even till they came to the borders of the Land of Canaan And a Pot containing the quantity of an Omer was afterwards by Gods Command fill'd therewith and reserved by the Ark of Testimony (d) Or Ark of the Testimony because in it were the Tables of Gods Law which testified his Will to his people See Heb. 9.4 See Apostolical History pag. 380. viz. which testified Gods Presence among them to be kept as a Memorial of Gods goodness in thus miraculously feeding of them Exod. 16. whole Chapter SECT X. THeir ninth Remove was to Dophka their Tenth to Alush Numb 33.12 13 14. and their Eleventh to Rephidim a place in the Wilderness near Mount Horeb. Here they wanted water again and this want drove a great many of them into an high discontent and murmuring insomuch as they said Is the Lord among us or not vers 7. Thus they tempted the Lord as the Psalmist says Psal 78.41 and limited the holy One of Israel Then they fell a chiding with Moses saying Give us water that we may drink wherefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt to kill us and our Children and our Cattel with thirst Moses asked them Why they chid with him was it in his power to help them why did they tempt the Lord by their distrust and murmuring And from this distrustful murmuring of the People the place was afterwards called Massa and Meriba signifying Temptation and Chiding Then Moses cried unto the Lord saying What shall I do to this people they are almost ready to stone me God Commands him to take some of the Elders of the people with him and to take his Rod in his hand with which he commanded Aaron to strike the River Nile Ch. 7.20 and to go to Mount Horeb where he would appear to him in the Cloudy Pillar and there to smite the Rock with his Rod and it should give forth water Moses and the Elders accordingly going to Horeb He there in their sight struck the Rock and immediately the waters gushed forth * The Apostle says 1 Cor. 10.4 The Rock followed them and that Rock was Christ see Psal 78.15 16 20. And the Streams issuing thence trailed after them thorow the Wilderness see Psal 105.41 Deut. 9.21 The Cloudy Pillar it seems conducting them in such by-ways in such Levels and Vallies in that Mountainous Country that the water might conveniently be derived after them Exod. 17. from 1. to 8. SECT XI THe Amalekites descended from Timnah Concubine to Eliphaz Esau's eldest Son Gen 36.12 whose Country lay hereabout having an inveterate malice against Jacob and his Posterity fell now upon the Rear of the Israelites they being much spent and tired with their long march and slew some of the feeblest (e) That is of such as were feeble thorow travel not sickness see Psal 105.37 and hindermost of them Deut. 25.17 18 19. Moses hereupon sends Joshua with a chosen Party to fight with them in the Valley and betakes himself to the top of Mount Horeb where with the Rod of God in his hand as a Signal to strengthen the faith of the people in God's Power and Help He lifts up his hands towards Heaven earnestly praying unto the Lord and imploring his Aid and Assistance against their Enemies And whilst Moses's hands were help up Israel prevailed but when they flag'd and fell down Amalek prevailed He therefore being weary with standing so long as well as with lifting up his hands they put a stone under him to sit on and Aaron and Hur (f) See James 5.17 Quare precum comites adhibendi qui nos labantes fulciant supported his hands whereby they were steady to the going down of the Sun and so they obtained a great Victory over the Amalekites And God commanded Moses to write (g) See Exod. 34.27 this for a Memorial in a Book that is in the Chronicles and Annals of time that the wickedness of Amalek in assaulting the people of God may be remembred and to Inculcate it in the ears of Joshua who was to succeed him that He and all his Successors who shall be Generals to the Israelites at any time hereafter may put this his Command in Execution when He shall give them occasion to do it For says God I have determined utterly to put out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven (h) Deut. 25.19 See this Command executed by Saul 1 Sam. 15.3 c. that is I have determined that their Honour and Greatness shall be so broken and brought down that they shall not be remembred or made mention of as a flourishing State or Kingdom any more And Moses in thankfulness to God for this great Victory built an Altar in that place and call'd it Jehovah-Nissi as a Memorial to Posterity that there Jehovah had as with a Banner displayed gone forth and fought against the Enemies of his people And because Amalek had lifted up his hand against the Throne of the Lord (i) V. 16. Quia manus Amalec fuit contra solium Domini Sic Jun. Tremel Piscator reddunt hunc
the top of the Mount where God manifested his glorious Presence and the Lord said unto him I have heard the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee viz. That thou should be a Mediator between Me and them and therein a Type of the promised Messias and they have done well in what they desired And O that there were such an heart (h) Humanitùs optanda non speranda designat in them that they would fear me always and keep my Commandments that it might go well with them and with their Children from Generation to Generation Then commanding that the people should return into their Tents He tells Moses He will speak unto him all the rest of his Commandments Statutes and Judgments and he shall impart them unto the people So that God spake no more than these Ten Commandments immediately by Himself unto the Children of Israel and in an audible Voice Deut. 5.22 the rest He spake unto them by Moses Exod. 20. from vers 18. to 22. Deut. 5. from vers 22. to 32. SECT XVI GOd further Commands Moses to tell the Children of Israel That they had heard Him speak to them out of Heaven that is from on high in the Air but they saw no Image nor Similitude of Him Therefore they should take heed of corrupting themselves in making any Similitude (i) See Deut. 4.15 or Figure of Him or any Image or Idol of Gold or Silver to represent Him or to be worshipped with Him 2ly For such Altars as they should be appointed to make as they were upon the way whereon to Sacrifice their Burnt-Offerings (k) Gen. 8.20 and Peace-Offerings (l) Lev. 3.1 their Oxen and Sheep or upon any extraordinary occasion before they should come to the place which He should chuse to settle his Worship there they must make them either of Earth (m) Such as Samuel and Elias made Afterwards the Altar of the Tabernacle was made of of Shitimwood to be overlaid with Brass Exod. 27.1 and for the Temple of Brass 2 Chron. 4.1 or of rough unpolished Stone for if they lifted a tool upon them to polish them they polluted (n) Curiosity in God's Service against his Command is not an Ornament but a Defilement vers 25. Non ex politis lapidibus cujus nulla ratio dari potest a natura rei desumpta sed tantum ex ordinatione Dei contra quam si quis eat etiam in levissimis per se indifferentibus ea profana fiunt Rivet them by transgressing the Commandment of God and so instead of making them holy they profaned them And the reason of this Injunction seeming to be that the meanness of the matter might shew that God did not intend those Altars should be places of his constant Worship but only for the present time And that the people should not have any superstitious conceit in time to come of the places where these Altars had been raised which might divert their hearts from the only Altar upon which he delighted to be ordinarily served Deut. 12.5 which was a Figure of the Cross of Christ And that they might not think strange at the meanness of these Altars He promises that in all places indifferently where he shall appoint them to build an Altar and where He shall cause his Name to be remembred and called upon He will accept of their Sacrifices and Service and hear them and bless them even in one place as well as in another Lastly He Commands that these Altars should not be so made that the Priests must go up by wide and far distant Stairs (o) V. 26. Ascensus non erit intercisus per gradus longe distantes ut cogeris magnos facere passus ne nudentur verenda tua usus enim foemoralium nondum introductus erat Lyra. and Steps or by Ladders unto them (p) This Institution was in part changed and revoked afterwards For Solomon's Altar was 10 Cubits high 2 Chron. 4.1 and the Priests went up by some steps and stairs to it and accordingly were ordered to wear linnen Breeches Exod. 28 42 43. And the Altar which Moses made for the Tabernacle was three Cubits high Exod. 27.1 But this was for the perpetual use of the Tabernacle and not for a time only and suddenly to be dissolved again as these occasional Altars were lest their nakedness should be discovered thereby which might impair the Honour of those Sacred Rites and would symbolize and agree too much with the lewd and shameful behaviour which the Idolatrous Heathenish Priests used in their Sacrifices Exod. 20. from 22. to the end SECT XVII NOw the Lord gives unto Moses the Judicial or Political Laws the civil Constitutions Ordinances and Statutes contained in the three next Chapters according to which the Magistrates and Judges were to Govern the people The chief Heads of which are as follow 1. Concerning buying Men-Servants A man might not buy an Israelite but either first when he willingly sold himself through extreme Poverty see Deut. 15.12 Exod. Ch. 21. Levit. 25.39 or when he was sold against his Will by the Magistrate for Theft which he was not able to make satisfaction for Or 3ly For Debt which he was not able to pay In such a Case they and their Children might be sold as Servants for satisfaction of the Debt see 2 Kings 4.1 Math. 18.25 Now if it should so happen that an Israelite became a Servant upon any of these accounts here is a Law given concerning the time of his Service namely that he should serve him that had bought him only six years and that in the seventh he should be set free for nothing except the Year of Jubilee fell within the compass of these years and in that Case he should be set free at that time Lev. 25.40.41 Now the reason why the Lord would not have the Israelites serve any longer is expressed Levit. 25.55 namely because they were his Servants and so the Lord would teach the Jews to put a difference between his people and others that were not his people Furthermore the Lord Orders That if the Servant came into Servitude unmarried he shall so go out if he were married his Wife if she were an Israelite shall go out free with him (q) See Deut. 15.12 for only Hâ—athens might be kept in Bondage Lev. 25.44 46. but with an Hebâ—ew-woman they could not do thus as ap-appears v. 7. But if his Master have given him a Wife in the time of his Service viz. an Heathen Bond-woman and she have born him Sons and Daughters in this case the man was to be set free alone and his Wife and Children were to continue Servants to his Master For the Children born of the Bondwoman are Bondmen and Bondwomen also as the example of Ishmael whom Abraham begat of Hagar sheweth Gen. 21.9 10. Yet no man by this Law was forced to leave his Wife for by continuing in his former Service he might
with Nadab and Abihu his two eldest Sons and the 70 Elders (l) They had when they were in Egypt certain Elders in every Tribe which were the principal men among them And it seems God appointed that these 70 should come up with Aaron and his Sons into the Mount And these were chosen now as Witnesses that they might by the sight of Gods presence be confirmed in the Covenant lately made with them and might confirm the rest therein And afterwards at Kibroth Hattavab 70 were chosen for helpers to Moses in his Government And 't is thought God appointed 70 rather than any other number as a Memorial of the 70 Souls that went down into Egypt and consequently of God's great blessing in bringing them within a few years to so great a multitude along with him They accordingly came up into the Mount that is a little way up and there as they were commanded worshipped at a distance and afar off from the top of the Mount And they saw some illustrious Signs of God's glorious presence (m) Not that the Lord shewed Himself in any humane shape Deut. 4.15 For never man saw God nor can see him 1 Tim. 6.16 Forma ipsius Dei nulla describitur sed basis in qua stabat Calvin and at the lower part of that brightness there was a clear shining blew pavement as it were of Saphir and like to the Skie when it is clear And though these Nobles and Elders saw the Glory of God in these extraordinary signs of his Presence yet it pleased the Lord that they received no hurt thereby but returning again unto the people did there feast together with them on their Peace-Offerings * Burnt-Offerings were wholely consumed but of the Peace-Offerings part was reserved that they did afterwards feast upon rejoycing in the goodness of God to them and the honour he had done them But Moses with his Servant and designed Successor Joshua (n) Joshua was not before mentioned vers 1. perhaps because he was Moses's Minister and constant attendant therefore it was not necessary he should be expressed by name abide there still having advanced to to the higher part of the Mount but yet not so high as the Cloud Moses before he ascended gave order to the Elders to tarry there below and to expect his and Joshua's return and that Aaron and Hur in his absence should determine the Affairs of the people Moses waited six days (o) Ut animum sex diebus ab omni cogitatione sorde terrenâ serenaret praepararet ad colloquium Dei Jans more on the top of the Mountain which the Cloud now covered and the signs of God's glorious Presence appeared upon it that his mind in that time might be prepared for Converse with the great God and on the Seventh day God called him up into the Cloud and the sight of the Glory of the Lord on the top of the Mount was like devouring Fire in the eyes of the Children of Israel And there God spake with Him and he continued there forty days (p) The like number of days Elias fasted 1 Kings 19.8 and our Saviour when he was to enter upon the Ministry of the Gospel Matth. 4.2 God could have dispatched Moses sooner but this stay was to give the greater Authority to his Law Some think that the six days that Moses waited are to be reckon'd into the 40. Sic Usserius alii and forty nights without eating or drinking any thing Deut. 9.9 And so his Condition was a shadow of the life of the glorified Saints in Heaven During which time he was employed in beholding the Glory of God's Presence and in receiving Instructions from him about all things that concerned his people and in viewing the Pattern of the Tabernacle and all things belonging thereunto which was shewn him in the Mount Joshua as it seems stayed all this while upon the Mount though below the Cloud waiting for Moses and sustaining himself as 't is probable with the Manna that fell from Heaven and the water of the Brook mentioned Deut. 9.21 that descended out of the Mount For there Moses found him when he came down from God neither did he know what the Israelites had done in the Camp as appears from Exod. 32.17 Exod. 24. vers 1 2. and from 9. to the end SECT XXI MOses during this His long abode in the Mount received from the Lord those Commands and Instructions mentioned in 25 26 27 27 28 29 30 and 31 Chapters of Exodus The Particulars whereof are these following First Touching the framing of a Tabernacle that is a moveable and portable Temple after the model and pattern that was shewed him in the Mount for the solemn Worship and Service of God in which He would dwell among them and manifest his gracious Presence and there He would meet with them and declare His Mind unto them vers 22. In order to which 1st He Commands that the people should make a voluntary and free-will-Offering unto Him of Gold Silver Brass and of Blue Purple Scarlet fine Linnen Goats Hair Rams Skins dyed red and Badgers Skins also of Shittim wood (q) Isa 41.19 'T is called the Shittah-Tree It being a precious wood the Israelites might bring it with them out of Egypt as appears from Exod. 35.24 Some think they had it from Abel-Shittim Numb 33.49 Shittim wood was very durable very portable and light of Carriage and very precious used in most of the utensils of the Tabernacle and Oil for the Lights and Spices for the anointing Oil and for sweet Incense also of Onyx Stones and other precious Stones to be set in the Ephod and Breast-plate of the High-Preist Ch. 25. from 1. to the 10. 2ly He gives Directions concerning framing the Ark (r) The Ark was a sign of Gods Presence among them as He was their Lord and Law-giver ordaining and requiring Obedience to these his Commandments and threatning death to the Transgressors The Ark is the first and chiefest of all the Holy things and for it principally was the Tabernacle made Exod. 26.33 40.18 21. and it sanctified the Tent or House wherein it rested as Solomon said The Places are holy where into the Ark of the Lord hath come 2 Chron. 8.11 Imitati hoc Gentiles Deorum mysteria in capsulis portantes Et levis occultis conscia cista Sacris Tibul. or Sacred Chest wherein only the Testimony (s) Exod. 31.18 38.21 called the Tables of the Covenant Deut. 9.9 And so the Ark called the Ark of the Covenant Numb 10.33 and the Book of the Law is called the Testimony 2 Kings 11.12 and so the Gospel the Testimony of God 1 Cor. 2.1 that is the Ten Commandments written upon Tables of Stone which were a Testimony of the Covenant between God and them and testified what God required of them was to be kept This was to be made of Shittim wood two Cubits * A Cubit among the Hebrews is
man see Exod. 33.20 And when he spake to him he did not make known his mind to him in obscure figurativ expressions as he did to some of the Prophets see Ezek. 17.3 but plainly and clearly and seeing he had manifested so great favour to Moses How comes it to pass says the Lord that ye were not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and the Cloud the sign of his presence removed from the door of the Tabernacle and possibly for some time disappeared God intending thereby to testifie his Indignation against them And immediately Miriam became Leprous and white as Snow * See Deut. 24.9 God was pleased to spare Aaron though Partner with his Sister in this Sin lest in his Dishonour the Priesthood should suffer Aaron intreats Moses to Intercede with the Lord for them that the punishment of this sin wherein they had done foolishly may not be laid upon them He begs that Miriam may not by the continuance of this white Leprosie upon her be as a Child dead in the Womb whose flesh when it comes into the World looks white and putrified as if it were sodden and half consumed And though says He she is for the present alive yet as one dead she is to be excluded from the Communion of the Church see Numb 5.2 and this fretting Plague if it continue upon her will in the end utterly consume and kill her Moses was prevailed with to pray for Her and upon his prayer the Lord was pleased to heal her of her Plague yet gives order that she should be carried out of the Camp for the present For says God if her earthly Father had in great displeasure spit in her face surely she would have been ashamed to shew her self for a time and therefore much more fit is it that in such a Case as this she should be secluded from the Congregation to instruct all the people to take heed of being corrupted with Her example The people upon this Sentence mourned for Her and journied not till she was brought into the Camp again which argued the great honour and respect they had for Her being a Prophetess and the Sister of Moses and Aaron After this the people removed from Hazeroth and pitched in another place in the Wilderness of Paran called Rithmath see Ch. 33.18 Numb 12. whole Chapter SECT LVII THe people being now come near to the Mountain of the Amorites upon the Borders of Canaan Moses encourages them to go up and take possession of the Land which God had promised them Deut. 1.20 21. but they fearing the Event desire that they may first send some Spies to search the Land Moses not knowing their distrustful hearts likes well their motion Deut. 1.23 and seeking Counsel of the Lord about it the Lord was pleased to permit it though in displeasure and accordingly Commands that at the time when Grapes first grew ripe they should send twelve Principal men such as were of authority and esteem among them of every Tribe one of which Caleb was for the Tribe of Judah being then forty years old see Joshua 14.7 and Hoshea (q) Hoshea signifies a Saviour but by adding Jah the Contract of Jehovah which is the proper Name of God Psal 68.4 thereby was signified that He should by the help and assistance of God be a Saviour of the people the Son of Nun whom Moses called Jehoshua or Joshua for the Tribe of Ephraim to discover and spy out the Land These men accordingly went entring into Canaan by the Desart of Zin lying on the South and so went quite thorow it to the very North part thereof even to Rehob 'T is probable they divided themselves else 't is like they would have been suspected neither could they otherwise have viewed the whole Country in so short a time Numb 13. from 1. to 23. SECT LVIII THese Spyes after forty days return from searching the Land and come to the Camp at Kadesh bringing with them one branch of a Vine with one Cluster or Bunch of Grapes upon it which was so big that they carried it between two of them upon a staff with some Pomegranates and Figgs of the Land Ten of these twelve Spies that were sent praised indeed the goodness of the Land but magnified also the strength of the Cities thereof and the Giant-like stature of the Inhabitants thereby disheartning the people from marching any further towards it At Hebron a City in the South-parts of it which was one of the ancientest Cities in the World being more ancient then Zoan the chief City of Egypt which vaunted it self to be of very great Antiquity see Isa 19.11 they tell them they met with Giants the Sons of Anak men of mighty stature in comparison of whom they seemed but like Grashoppers They tell them The Cities of the Canaanites were great and walled up to Heaven Deut. 1.28 They further tell them That the Amalekites dwelt in the South Country the Hittites Jebusites and Amorites in the Mountains nigh unto the Wilderness where the Israelites now lay so that there would be no entring the Land on the South because of those mighty Nations that would be there ready to oppose them And in case they should think to fetch a compass about and to enter in on the East-side there they would be kept out by the River Jordan which ran along on that side and the dead-Sea and by the Canaanites who dwelt by the Sea and by the Coast of Jordan and they being a valiant and a strong people would improve those advantages for the best defence of their Country Thus these ten Spies discouraged the people bringing an evil Report upon the Land telling them It was a Land that eateth up the Inhabitants thereof by reason of the Civil Wars and frequent intestine Commotions that arose among them and by reason of the Tyranny of the Gyants who oppressed those that were less powerful than themselves And if several of the Natives of the Land were expos'd to so much danger how much more had they need to fear that were Strangers and were held their Common Enemies and what could they expect but to be eaten up with continual Wars The people at this Relation being greatly terrified Caleb and Joshua rose up and contradicted this false Report and encouraged the people telling them they might easily by Gods assistance Conquer the Land see Ch. 14.6 7. They said all that they could to still and quiet them and to hearten them to go on but all in vain For they now fall into an high rage and discontent and murmur against Moses and Aaron and wish they had died in Egypt or the Wilderness Nay their discontent and impatience grew so high that they said Deut. 1.27 Because the Lord hated us he hath brought us out of the Land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us and that our selves our Wives and Children should
sin that is he died a natural death when his time was come as being by sin liable to death as all other men are They further urge that except this be granted them the Name of their Father wil be quite extinct Moses inquiring of the Lord concerning this Case it pleased the Lord to grant these Daughters of Zelophehad their desire which was afterwards punctually performed Joshua as we may read Josh 17.4 According to the Command of the Lord he gave them an Inheritance among the Brethren of their Father Yet withall there was afterwards a Caution added to wit that they might not marry out of their own Tribe * Hence some conclude that when a man died without Issue and his Brother married his Widow to raise up Seed unto his Brother whose Estate he inhetlted his first Son in their Genealogies was reckoned to be the Son of him that died without Issue So it was in this case The first Sons of those that married the Daughters of Zelophehad were accounted the Sons of Zelophehad and so under his Name did inherit his Land see Ch. 36.6 And upon this occasion was the Law for succession in Inheritances made and ordained Numb 27. from 1. to 12. SECT LXXXIV GOd now signifies to Moses that he should die and accordingly Commands him to go up to that Tract of the Mountains of Abarim * See Ch. 33.47 Deut. 32.49 34.1 which are in the Land of Moab over against Jerico and on one of the highest of them called Nebo whose top was called Pisgah he should see that good Land into which he might not enter And when he had seen it his Soul should be gathered unto the Souls of his pious Ancestors who died before him For He and Aaron had rebelled against his Commandment see Ch. 20.12 which was that they should by Faith sanctifie * We sanctifie the Lord when we conceive aright of his Nature and Attributes and when we speak so reverently of Him as to cause his Name to be praised and magnified among men him in the eyes of the people at the Wilderness of Zin but they sanctified him not Moses humbly and earnestly begs of the Lord that he might be permitted to go over and see that good Land Deut. 3.23 25. but the Lord was not pleased to grant his Request Humbly therefore submitting to his holy Will he now earnestly prays to God Who is the God of the Spirits of all flesh and not only the Creator but the Searcher and Trier of men spirits and knows what is in man and can frame and fashion mens spirits as he pleases and give them Gifts and Graces requisite for the Places he calls them unto to appoint a Successor to him that might as a good Shepheard go out and in before the Flock God upon his prayer appoints Joshua to succeed him a man in whom was the Spirit that is the Spirit of Wisdom and understanding the Spirit of Counsel and Might the Spirit of Knowledge and the fear of the Lord. God Commands him therefore to lay his hands * The like Ceremony was afterwards used in the days of the Gospel when men were separated and set apart to Preach the Gospel 1 Tim. 4.14 upon Joshua to intimate to Him by this Ceremony that the hand of God should be upon him to defend and prosper him in all his ways and that he would confer upon him a great measure of the Gifts of his Spirit answerable to the Dignity whereunto he had advanced Him and accordingly 'tis said Deut. 34.9 That Joshua the Son of Nun was full of Wisdom for Moses had laid his hands on him Moses was also to set him before Eleazar and the Congregation and to give him a Charge concerning what he was to do and what to forbear in the administration of his Office And Moses was further commanded to put some of his own honour upon him that is admit him into some Partnership of Authority and Dignity with himself and so cause the people to give him that Honour that was due unto Moses's Successor and the Judge Elect of Israel And Moses tells him further That upon occasion he shall present himself before Eleazar that he may inquire of the Lord for him after the Judgment of Vrim that is putting on the Ephod to which the Pectoral * See Pharaphrase on Exod. 28.30 was fastened wherein was the Vrim and Thummim And at Eleazar's word speaking from the Lord He and the people shall go out to War or return from it and so in all weighty Affairs which were extraordinary by his direction they should govern themselves And Moses did all these things which the Lord commanded him Numb 27. from 12. to the end SECT LXXXV THe Children of Israel having as it seems omitted their Sacrifices and solemn Feasts the most part of the 38 years last past by reason of their travels wherein the Sanctuary the Alar and other holy things were made up fit for removal from place to place And the most part of the Generation from twenty years old and upward that had been mustered in Sinai being now dead see Ch. 26.64 The Lord hereupon causeth the Law of sacrificing to be again here repeated thereby intimating to them that when they came into the Land which he promised them they must not any longer neglect his Ordinances as they had done in the Wilderness see Deut. 12.8 And therefore first in the general he charges them that they be sure to give Him all the Sacrifices and Offerings which he had at several times appointed them to offer And then 2ly He sets down particularly what they were to offer First For their daily Sacrifice from vers 3. to 9. Secondly For their weekly Sacrifice every Sabbath * The Sacrifices appointed for every Sabbath-day are full double to those appointed for every day And yet the daily Sacrifice the continual Burnt-Offering was not then to be omitted day from vers 9. to 10. Thirdly For their monthly Sacrifice every new Moon from 11. to 16. And fourthly For their yearly Sacrifices First At the Passover from vers 16. to 26. 2ly At Pentecost from 26. to the end 3ly He mentions the Offering appointed at the Feast of Trumpets Ch. 29. from 1. to 7. 4ly The Offering on the day of Expiation from 7. to 12. 5ly On the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles from vers 12. to 39. Numb Ch. 28. whole Chapter Numb Ch. 29. from 1. to 39. SECT LXXXVI BEsides those set and solemn Sacrifices which God Himself had injoyned there were other Sacrifices which were to be offered to the Lord namely such as men voluntarily offered or upon a particular Vow Ch. 29. v. 39. And upon this occasion it seems several Precepts concerning Vows were added to shew who were necessarily obliged to perform their Vows and who not And Moses made known these Laws to the Heads of the Tribes because they were the men that according to these Laws were
Israelites over against Beth-Peor and there buried it Neither doth any man know the place where he laid it to this day And this the Lord seems to have done that the Israelites might not in a preposterous Zeal give superstitious honour either to his dead body or Sepulchre Indeed 't is said Jude v. 9. That Michael the Arch-Angel contended with the Devil and disputed about the body of Moses whereby it appears that the Devil would have had the place of his burial made known that it might have been the occasion of Idolatry as Chrysostome in his First Homily on Matthew and Theodoret upon Deut. quest 43. with others do conjecture but the Lord prevented the Devils design herein And possibly God foresaw that if the Israelites had known the place where the body of Moses was buried they would in an unwarrantable way have taken it up and carried it with them into the Land of Canaan as they did Joseph's bones whereas God had declared He should not come thither Moses being dead the Israelites mourned for him 30 days * So long they mourned for Aaron Numb 20.28 And there was great reason for it for there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face that is spake to in a wondrous familiar manner with an audible articulate Voice as one friend speaketh to another and discovered to him more of his Glory than ever he did to the eye of mortal man see Exod. 33.20 There was none like unto him if we consider the great Miracles which the Lord inabled him to do in the Land of Egypt before Pharaoh and his Servants and the wonderful Works of mighty Power which he since performed in the Wilderness in the sight of all Israel whereby the Lord magnified his own Majesty and Power and put a great honour on his Servant Moses and his Ministry But though this great Moses was gone yet God left not his people without a Governour for He had before-hand appointed Joshua to succeed him who was a man endued with a great measure of wisdom which the Holy Ghost had given him for the right execution of his Office For Moses had laid his hands on him according to Gods Command Numb 27.18 by that Ceremony consecrating him unto God and engaging him faithfully to administer the Charge and Office He was appointed unto And the Children of Israel hearkned unto him and obeyed him as the Lord commanded Moses to injoyn them SECT XCIV WE are now come to the Book of Joshua The Book of Ioshua which was not probably written by himself (a) If we should suppose this Book for the main to be written by Joshua yet some passages might be inserted afterwards by some other holy Penman So in the Books of Moses we find some passages which could not be written by Moses himself but were afterwards added by some other holy men as Deut. 34.5 Qui hanc historiam ex Sacris Annalibus conscripsit usus est sui seculi nominibus Masius at least not all of it though it contains his Acts and Atchievements Indeed Joshua either wrote himself or ordered some of the Priests to write the words of the Covenant which he caused the people to enter into with all the Circumstances of it Ch. 24.26 in the Book of the Law of God which was written by Moses and put in the side of the Ark that so it might be a Witness against them if they transgressed it But there are some things contained in this Book which are thought to be done after Joshua's death as the conquering of Leshem or Laish by the Danites Ch. 19.47 Judg. 18.7 to 29. and Ch. 24. from 29. to 32. his death and burial are mentioned Some other things seem to argue that it was written by some Prophet * A Propheta aliquo collectus videtur hic liber ex antiquis diariis annalibus Masius long after his death as that phrase (b) See Ch. 4. 6. 6.29 7.26 8.29 9.27 10.27 13.13 14.14 15.63 remains unto this day so frequently used doth intimate And the Book of Jasher (c) See Sect. 102. is here named Ch. 10.13 which seems written at soonest in David's time as recording an Act of his 2 Sam. 1.18 unless we should suppose which is not improbable that this Book of Jasher was begun in Moses's time and continued on and inlarged afterwards by adding several memorable Acts and Passages unto it Joshua was of the Tribe of Ephraim Numb 13.8 He was six full years in Conquering the Land and in the seventh divided it by lot among the nine Tribes and an half And divers years he lived and governed after that time but how many is uncertain yet it is supposed to be about ten years And so this Book contains an History of seventeen years from the beginning of Joshua's Government to his death which happened when he was an hundred and ten years old Ch. 24.29 And so much by way of Preface We now come to the History it self After the death of Moses the Lord spake to Joshua Moses's Minister who had for many years daily and continual conversation with him and so could not but have learned much thereby to fit him for this great Service But whither the Lord spake to him by audible Voice or the secret instinct of his Spirit or in some Dream or by the High Priests inquiring for him by Vrim and Thummim we cannot determine But however it was he spake to him and commanded him to arise and lead His people over into the Land of Canaan which he had before promised them and intended now actually to give them He tells him That every place in the Land which the sole of their foot should tread upon from the Wilderness of Zin which was the South-bound to Lebanon which was the North-bound and the great Sea or Midland-Sea which was the Western-bound and the River Euphrates (d) That the Israelites did never extend their bounds thus far is evident For though in the days of David and Solomon all the Nations as far as Euphrates became Tributary to them 1 Kings 4.21 yet they never destroyed the Inhabitants there and planted themselves in their Country as they did in the Land of Canaan And the reason of this was because the Israelites failed of keeping Covenant with God and it was only upon condition of their Obedience that God promised thus to inlarge their borders which was the Eastern-bound even all the Land of the Hittites which seem here mention'd by a Synecdoche for all the seven Nations should be their Coast The Lord tells him That not a man should be able to stand before him all the days of his life but as He was with Moses so He would be with him and would never leave him nor forsake him He bids him therefore be strong and of a good courage for he should divide the Land of Canaan to the people of
let on God's part but they might enter into their Inheritances and those persons whom he had appointed to divide their Inheritances to them by lot were ready to do their duty therein He therefore requires them to choose out from among them three men of every Tribe that the matter might be carried on impartially and he would send them to go through the Land and to take a Survey not only of the parts of the Country already subdued but of those that remained yet in the Enemies hands that they might describe the largeness of every Region and Province and set down how many Cities and Villages were in each of them That so having as it were a Map of the Land that remained to be divided before them they might justly divide it into seven parts and so give proportionable Shares and Inheritances to every Tribe according as they were in number fewer or more He tells them That the Tribe of Judah and the Sons of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh should continue seated the one in the South the other in the North according as their lots fell to them at Gilgal but yet he seems to intimate that if their Shares were found to be too large then some other Tribes might have a share with them as it afterwards happened for the Tribe of Simeon had their portion assigned to them out of that which was at first the lot of Judah Ch. 19.9 When these Surveyors had gone through the Land and divided it into seven parts for the Levites were to have no part among them the Priesthood of the Lord being their Inheritance and the other Tribes had had their lots before then He orders that the Description of it should be brought to him and he would cast lots for them before the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle The men thus appointed went out accordingly being secure and confident of Gods Protection and dividing themselves as 't is probable and going under pretence possibly of Negotiation or Traffick they spent seven months in this Survey as Josephus tells us Antiq. lib. 5. and so made a Description of it in a Volume or Map with all the Cities and Towns belonging to each Province and divided it into seven parts and so presented it to Joshua and the Elders at Shiloh Then Joshua cast lots for them according to the divisions of their Tribes And the first lot came up for the Children of Benjamin whose lot fell between the Children of Judah and Joseph and the bounds of their lot with the Cities belonging thereunto are described Ch. 18. from vers 11. to the end Thus Benjamin had the honour to have the first lot among the seven Tribes and was by providence seated the very next to his Brethren Ephraim and Manasseh and had also part of the Royal City of Jerusalem within his Borders whereby was fulfilled what Moses prophesied of this Tribe Deut. 33.12 And of Benjamin he said the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him and the Lord shall cover him all the day long and he shall dwell between his Shoulders The next lot came forth for Simeon and their Inheritance was within the lot of the Tribe of Judah It seems they that were sent to search the Land not yet divided that they might part it into seven lots for the seven Tribes remaining found that the portion which Joshua and Eleazar and the other Commissioners for dividing the Land had formerly assigned to Judah was too large considering what was left for the other Tribes and therefore they agreed unanimously that a whole portion for one of the Tribes which had not yet their Inheritance assigned to them should be taken out of that which was formerly given to Judah and some Cities also they took from Judah to be as part of another lot see Josh 19 40 41. And thus by the Providence of God there being one Tribe to be provided for within the portion of the Children of Judah the lot fell upon this Tribe of Simeon that was fewest in number of all the Tribes see Numb 26.14 And by this Tribes being intermingled with Judah and not having a portion by themselves apart that Prophesie of Jacob was fulfilled Gen. 49. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel The bounds of this Tribes portion are not described only the chief Cities and Towns are named that were in their lot and that because their Inheritance was within that of Judah The third lot came up for the Children of Zebulun Their Borders are described Ch. 19. from vers 10. to 17. The fourth lot came out to Issachar Their Borders are described from vers 17 to 24. The fifth lot for the Tribe of Asher Their Borders are described from vers 24. to 32. The sixth lot came out for the Children of Naphtali Their Borders are described from vers 32. to vers 40. The seventh lot came out for the Children of Dan. Hence it appears that this Book was not written by Joshua except we shall say that some particulars in it were afâ—erwards inserted by some other holy men Their Borders are described from vers 40. to 47. Their lot fell to them in the Southern parts close by Judah's portion and they being not able to drive out the Philistines out of their Land in after-times viz. after Joshua's death they were streightned and so went out and took Laish a City in the North parts * Judg. 20.1 in Naphtali's lot see Judg. 18. though then in the Zidonians possession and transplanted a Colony thither calling it Dan from Dan their Ancestor Son of Jacob. Ch. 18. from 2. to the end Ch. 19. from 1. to 49. SECT CXVI WHen they had made an end of dividing the Land among all the Tribes and the distribution thereof was fully finished then the Children of Israel gave Joshua an Inheritance in Timnah-serah in Mount Ephraim And herein was the modesty of this great General remarkable that he was content to stay till all the other Tribes had their portion ere he made any motion for that which by special Prerogative was to be conferred on him according to the Word of the Lord spoken to Moses not only concerning Caleb but also Joshua Ch. 14.9 2ly He was content to receive what the Lord had promised him as by way of Gift from the people 3ly Whereas he might have chosen the fairest and goodliest City in all their Tribes He chose his Seat in a mountainous Country and it seems a City that was ruinated so that he was fain to build it ere he could dwell in it Josh Ch. 19. from vers 49. to the end SECT CXVII THe Levites now come to Joshua and Eleazar and the rest of the Commissioners for dividing the Land to receive from them the Cities which God appointed to be set apart for their dwellings And they accordingly set apart forty eight Cities for them as God had commanded Numb 35.7 The Commissioners 't is like chose these Cities out of each
of their City and their great Wealth lived voluptuously without fear of any Enemy and after the same manner lived the Inhabitants of Laish 2ly They observed they had no Magistrate in the Land that might put them to shame in any thing and so restrain them from Vice for shame doth oftentimes more restrain men from sin than smart or corporal punishment 3ly They observed they were far from the Sidonians with whom possibly they had a League or had some dependance on them and therefore they could not suddainly come to aid them 4ly They observed they had neither League nor Commerce with their Neighbours either of which might have obliged them to afford them help in their need Having taken notice of these things they return to their Brethren who sent them out and tell them what they had observed concerning this people They tell them the Land was a very good Land a place where there was no want of any thing that is in the Earth and if they would go up they need not doubt of obtaining it for say they God hath given it into your hands This confidence of theirs possibly was grounded partly on what they observed when they were among the people and partly from the encouragement that Micah's Priest had given them Whereupon 600 men of them well armed went up from thence upon this Expedition In their march they first pitched at Kirjath-jearim in the Confines of Judah Dan and Benjamin Thence they passed to Mount Ephraim and came near the house of Micah When they came thither the five Spies told them there was in one of those houses of Micah an Ephod and Teraphim a graven and a molten Image Now therefore consider say they what ye have to do consider whither this will not be a good Booty for us and whither we should not take all these along with us to use them in the Places where we shall come as in our former Journey we asked Counsel by them of God and received an Answer that our Journey should be Prosperous The Souldiers hearing these things went presently to Micah's house and the 600 Men placing themselves at the Gate the five Spies went in and saluted Micah and probably acquainted him with their design and then brought out his Priest to their Brethren whom He kindly saluted and as 't is probable wished them good success in their Enterprise and discoursed with them In the mean time the five Spies went back into the house and took away the Ephod and Teraphim and the Images graven and molten The Priest seeing this asked them what they did They bid him hold his peace and go along with them and be to them a Father and a Priest They tell him It was much better for him to be a Priest to a whole Tribe than to one man The Priest notwithstanding the kindness and respect Micah had shewen him hoping to have more advantage by these Danites than He had by Him away he goes with them and immediatly placed himself with this Idolatrous Trash in the midst of their Army either for the better defence of his Person and these Trinkets or else in a kind of Apish imitation of the Israelites who carried the Ark in the midst of their Host When they departed from Micah's house they ordered that their Wives * The bringing of their Wives little Ones and Cattel with them shews with what assurance of success they went up against Laish little Ones and Cattel and their Carriages should march before their Army For they feared not any Enemy before them but supposed that Micah with all the strength he could make would pursue after them Micah accordingly with what Company of his Neighbours he could get together pursued after them and when He came up to them the Danites asked Him What ailed him and why He came after them with such a great Company He cries out Ye have taken away my gods and my Priest and do you now ask me What aileth me Alas I esteem all that ye have left me as nothing now my gods and my Priest are gone The Danites answered Let not thy Cry be heard among us lest some angry Fellows of our Company run upon thee and destroy thee and thy Houshold When Micah saw they were too strong for him he turned back and so the Danites carried away the Priest and the Images with them to Laish When they came thither they easily took the City and smote the Inhabitants thereof with the edge of the Sword there being none to deliver them out of their hands And though in taking of it they burnt it yet afterwards they built it again and called it Dan in honour of Dan from whom they were descended And then they set up the graven Image there which they had taken from Micah and established this Idolatrous Worship of their false gods among them and so this Levite whose Name was Jonathan the Son of Gershom and his Posterity were Priests unto these Idolatrous Danites all the time the Tabernacle remained at Shiloh till the Captivity of the Land that is till the Ark was taken and carried away by the Philistines 1 Sam. 4.10 11. which was at the death of Eli at which time there was a great slaughter of the Israelites and no doubt many of them were carried away Captive together with the Ark and all this befel them because of the Idolatry that was then practised in the Land Psal 78.58 59. But though this Idol was pulled down as 't is probable in Samuel's time or Saul's when the Tabernacle was at Nob 1 Sam. 21. yet these Idolatrous Priests might in secret especially continue to do this impious Service for the Danites unto the times of Jeroboam and then might be employed as Priests for his golden Calf which he here erected 1 Kings 12.29 and so they might continue till the general Captivity of the ten Tribes Judg. Ch. 18. whole Chapter SECT CXXX THe Israelites tolerating this Idolatry of Micah and the Danites and never stirring against it this Toleration breedeth all Iniquity in so much that Gibeah a City in Benjamin becometh as abominable as Sodom as appears by the story following It happened in those days when there was no Supream Magistrate to curb and restrain the Disorders and evil Manners of the people that a certain Levite that sojourned in Mount Ephraim had taken to himself a Concubine from Bethlehem-Judah Some Concubines there were among the Hebrews that were esteemed lawful Wives as to the right of the Bed and their Children were accounted Legitimate though they were not esteemed in the rank of other Wives principally and most properly so called For they had not the honour of being accounted the Mothers of the Family neither had they the Rule in the Family nor their Children any Inheritance but only Gifts or Portions The case of Jacob's Sons by Bilhah and Zilpah was extraordinary See Sect. 15. of Ch. 3. Other Concubines there were that were plain Whores or Harlots but this
will readily assist thee about things of Gold Silver Brass Wood or any other materials And I doubt not but the Princes and all the people will be wholly at thy command Then David turned his speech again to the whole Assembly and said to them Solomon my Son whom God alone hath chosen to succeed me is yet young and tender the work that he is to do is great For this Palace or Royal Temple that he is to build is not to be built for man but for the Lord God and therefore must be most magnificent As for my self I have provided with all my might and to the uttermost of my power for the building of it and the finishing of all things appertaining to it And I declare before you all not out of pride or ostentation but to stir you up to follow my example that I have provided gold and silver and brass and iron and timber and marble stones in abundance for this great work yea I have provided all manner of precious stones as Onix-stones and glittering stones of divers colours Yea I have so set my heart on the building of this house for God that I have of my own proper goods which I had gathered for my self * David got very rich spoils in the many wars he was engaged in and the wealthy enemies he conquered after I had consecrated to God his part which was the greatest given three thousand talents of Gold viz. of the Gold of Ophir seven thousand talents of refined silver The gold is for to overlay in thin plates the walls of the Temple and the silver to overlay the walls of some particular rooms in the houses and buildings adjoining And now let me exhort you all to follow my example and to assist my Son with heart and hand with your counsel and with your purses in this great work And truly you have great reason to do it Is not the Lord your God among you to bless you Hath he not given you rest on every side Hath he not given the people the inhabitants of the land into my hand so that they peaceably submit to my government Is not the land subdued before the Lord and before his people so that being freed from their enemies they may quietly enjoy their possessions Therefore set your hearts to seek the Lord your God and faithfully to serve him Arise and build the Sanctuary of the Lord your God and bring the Ark and the holy vessels of God into it And now let me see who among you is willing to fill his hand with gifts this day and freely to offer them to the Lord for the building of this house Upon this motion of the Kings the Princes Rulers and Captains and all sorts offered very willingly and liberally for the service of the house and 't is like subscribed what they intended to give and that which they gave amounted to five thousand talents of Gold and ten thousand drams and ten thousand talents of silver and eighteen thousand talents of brass and one hundred thousand talents of iron And they that had precious stones gave them to the Treasure of the house of the Lord for this sacred use And there was great joy among all the people because of the great willingness and forwardness that was in all sorts to contribut to this work And David also rejoiced exceedingly at it and was much pleased with their large free and willing contribution Whereupon he brake out into an holy and zealous praising of the Lord for it and said Blessed be thou Lord God of Israel our Father for ever and ever To thee O Lord belongs greatness power glory majesty and victory For all that is in heaven or in the earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and we do willingly exalt thee and acknowledg thee to be head above all and higher than all Both riches and honour come from thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might In thine hand it is to make great and to give strength to all to whom thou pleasest Now therefore O Lord we exalt and praise thy name for thy glorious excellencies and thy benefits conferred on us But who am I and what is my people that we should have hearts and abilities to offer so freely and so largely as we have done And yet we have no manner of cause to boast or glory For all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee We do acknowledg that we are not proprietors of the goods that we possess but only thy stewards The land we dwell in is thine we are but strangers before thee and sojourners as all our fathers were And our days on the earth are as a shadow and there is no abiding for us here and therefore seeing we are to continue but a short time in this life and have but a short enjoyment of the things of this world how can we better dispose of them than for thy service who art able to give us in exchange for them an eternal inheritance in thy Kingdom O Lord we do willingly acknowledg that all this great store we have provided for the building of an house for thy holy name was given us by thy free bounty and is all thine own and therefore we present unto thee only what thou thy self didst first give us I know O Lord thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness As for my self in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things and now to my great joy and comfort I have also seen this people here present to offer willingly unto thee O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob our Fathers I pray thee keep and preserve this holy zeal in the minds and hearts of this people and establish their hearts and make them ever firm to thy self And give unto Solomon my Son an upright heart to keep thy commandments testimonies and statutes and to do all things required of him and enable him to build and finish this stately Palace for thy name for which I have made so great provision David having ended his prayer he call'd to the whole Congregation to bless the Lord which accordingly they did with loud acclamations and bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord with divine honour and adoration which being done they bowed themselves to the King and paid him civil honour and respect and so departed The next day they sacrificed Sacrifices and offered Burnt-offerings unto the Lord namely a thousand bullocks a thousand rams and a thousand lambs with the drink-offerings appertaining to them which they offered in the name of all the people and in such abundance that all the Israelites there present might eat of the Peace-offerings that were then offered And they did eat and drink before the Lord that day with great gladness of heart and anointed Solomon a second time King his first anointing having been done on the sudden and almost in a tumultuary
of Naphtali 1 King 7.14 and his Mother of the Tribe of Dan and who was one of my Fathers workmen who is skill'd to work in gold silver iron brass stone timber in purple blue fine linnen or crimson and to grave any manner of graving and one that can work not only according to the pattern set before him but can also invent other curious works fit and proper for the main design I know he will be ready to join with the cunning workmen provided by thy Father and thy self As for the reward thou dost promise my servants for their labour and pains I do willingly accept of it and let my Lord the King be pleased to send it to them But I must make one request to thee for my self viz. that thou wilt grant me liberty yearly to transport out of thy Country a certain quantity of provision viz. of wheat and oyl for my own houshold our Country not being well furnish'd with those things * See Ezek. 27.17 Ezra 3.7 Act. 12.20 Solomon having receiving his Letter agreed to what Hiram desired of him and accordingly gave him twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat †Beaten wheat that is wheat beaten out of the ear and severed from the chaff we call it clean wheat and twenty measures of pure oyl yearly And Solomon and Hiram made a firm league together and Hiram besides allowing Solomon Timber to build with furnish'd him with six score talents of gold towards the defraying of the charge 1 King 9.14 1 King Ch. 5. from v. 1 to 13. 2 Chron. Ch. 2. from v. 1 to 17. SECT CCXX SOlomon also raised a levy (a) The people yielded willingly to this levy for the Temple but when it was still continued by Solomon for his own house and his other buildings it seems they grudged at it as we may gather from what they said to Rehoboam 1 King 12.4 See also 1 King 9.15 among the people towards the building of the house of the Lord and other great buildings he designed See 1 King 9.15 and having provided stones of several sorts and sizes and having obtained leave of Hiram to cut down Timber in Lebanon viz. Cedar-trees Firr-trees and Algum-trees he falls now in hand with the work and employs a vast army of workmen therein 1. For servile work an hundred and fifty thousand whereof fourscore thousand were hewers in the mountains and threescore and ten thousand bearers of burdens all these were strangers that dwelt among the Israelites and submitted to their Laws and had been by David before appointed for this service 1 Chron. 22.2 2ly For plain work thirty thousand Israelites were imployed yet with such alternation that being divided into three parts they stayed ten thousand of them at a time one month in mount Lebanon and the other two at home 1 King 5.13 14. 3ly For carved works the Sidonians only were imployed whose number though not specified must needs be great if we may guess the men by the proportion of victuals allowed to them 2 Chron. 2.10 4ly For overseeing all the former three thousand three hundred Officers were appointed 1 King 5.16 but in the 2 Chron. 2.18 we read of 3600 possibly upon a review 300 might be added for the better carrying on of the business or these last 300 might be appointed as extraordinary to be in readiness in case any of the ordinary should fail by sickness death or any other accident Thus the ordinary overseers would be each man over forty five workmen or thereabout (a) Those Officers viz. 550 1 King 9.23 seem to be the chief of the Officers that were over Solomons other works when he builded his own house and that for Pharaohs daughter and his other buildings besides the Temple ver 15 17 18 19. So that these supervised those that wrought in these works And the 250 2 Chron. 8.10 seem to be the chief of his Officers that bear rule over those Canaanites that Solomon had made Tributaries v. 7 8. and so differed from the former 550. If any wonder at the vastness of this army of workmen let them consider how that thorough scarcity of horses at that time in Judea though plenty was brought out of Egypt towards the latter end of Solomons reign massie timber was to be managed by the main strength of men 2ly All things were before-hand so to be fitted and framed in mount Lebanon which might occasion many chargeable Essays and trials that not so much as the sound of an Ax or Hammer was heard in Jerusalem when the Temple came to be erected 1 King 6.7 that is there was small noise in comparison of so great a work and not obstreperous to a publick disturbance by hewing or squaring of timber or stone the parts being fitted or matched before Besides Solomon in framing this great fabrick that was to be built for the honour of God consulted magnificence and not frugality 1 King Ch. 5. from v. 13 to the end 2 Chron. Ch. 2. v. 17 18. SECT CCXXI SHimei of whom before Sect. 214. had carefully kept himself within the bounds prescribed for about three years But at the end of that time two of his servants it seems ran away from him having as 't is like stollen something considerable from him and fled to Achish King of Gath there being at that time peace between the Israelites and Philistines so that the one might freely pass to the other or possibly they might be native Philistines Shimei being inform'd where they were and being enrag'd at them for so serving him and having an over-covetous desire to regain them and the things they had stollen from him and not imagining that Solomon he having kept himself within his bounds for three years did still strictly watch him or sought an occasion against him to cut him off as his Father had injoin'd him and possibly thinking to go so secretly and to come again so quickly that his going should not be observed or however it was he sadles his Ass and ventures to go to Gath where he met with his servants and brought them back again but the fetching of them cost him dear for Solomon being inform'd that he had gone out of his bounds he presently sent for him and said unto him Did not I protest to thee that if thou didst pass the limits I had set thee thou shouldest surely die didst not thou say the thing I required of thee was but just and reasonable And over and above didst not thou swear to me by the Lord that thou wouldest not transgress why then hast thou violated the oath that thou swarest to me in the presence of the Lord and why hast thou disobeyed the commandment that I so solemnly gave thee under so great a penalty Thou canst not but remember the wickedness of thy heart and how basely thou didst revile my Father in his distress and therefore the Lord will now return thy wickedness upon thy own head And I am not
afraid to execute justice upon thee for the doing justice upon such offenders and wicked wretches as thou art is the way by the blessing of God to have my Kingdom established to me and to my posterity after me in the sight of the Lord that is his gracious Providence continually watching over us So the King commanded Benaiah to kill him which accordingly he did And so the Kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon his chief and capital enemies being now cut off 1 King Ch. 2. from v. 39 to the end CHAP. V. The fifth Age of the World from the beginning of the building of the Temple in the fourth year of Solomons reign unto the destruction of it and Captivity of Judah in the 11th year of Zedekiah containing a space of 420 years SECT I. IN the year 480 from the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt in the fourth year of the reign of King Solomon on the second day of the second Month called Zif answering as some think to our 21 of May the foundation of the Temple was laid in Mount Moriah the very place where Abraham was commanded to offer up his Son Isaac see Gen. 22.2 and in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite about the year of the world 2988. This foundation was laid with great and costly hewed stones brought thither by the Kings command 1 King 5.17 and this glorious structure with all things belonging to it took up in the building and finishing of it seven years and an half The length of this magnificent building was sixty cubits besides ten cubits allowed for the Porch which made the whole length to be seventy cubits 1 King 6.2 3. The cubits after which the Temple was built it's probable were after the first measure 2 Chron. 3.3 and double to the ordinary cubits which reached only from the Elbow to the tip of the longest finger and equal to our English yard If any shall think this sacred pile to be but little in comparison of other Fanes and Temples let them consider the stateliness of this Temple did not consist so much in the greatness of it as the exquisite workmanship symetry and costly furniture thereof 2ly It was big enough for the uses it was intended for namely to contain the holy vessels with sufficient space between them and to receive such Priests as did officiate therein For the Holy of Holies was accessible only to the High-Priest and that but once a year and into the holy or inward house only such Priests entred as by lot or course came thither to do the service they were appointed unto viz. to light lamps to set shew-bread to offer inincense as appeareth by Zacharies sole staying therein whilst the whole multitude of the people were praying without 3ly The great latitude and capacity of the Temple consisted in the outward Courts with the stately buildings and Cloysters about them which were of such receipt as to entertain multitudes of men sub dio in the open air and so it equalled the greatest buildings in the world But though the covered Temple was not great yet it was more than twice as big as the Tabernacle made by Moses which was only thirty cubits in length ten in breadth and as many in height Both Jewish and Christian writers place the ends or length of the Temple East and West the sides or breadth North and South making the Porch or entrance on the East-end and the Holy of Holies on the West-end as is gathered from Ezek. 8.16 Ch. 44.1 Ch. 47.1 We shall now describe the parts of this Temple particularly and shall speak first of the Porch 1. The Porch In the Book of Kings 1 King 6.3 we meet with the length and breadth of the Porch but no height thereof mentioned In Chronicles we find the length and height thereof but there the breadth is omitted Thus we see that by comparing one Scripture with another we may come to find out the truth This Porch was twenty cubits in length for its length ran parallel to the breadth of the house from North to South ten in breadth from East to West and an hundred and twenty in height being four times as high as the body of the Temple see 2 Chron. 3.4 not that it was all empty and void to the top but probably had Chambers in it and winding stairs ascending up to the roof The height of the lowest room within might perhaps be equal to the rest of the House viz. thirty cubits The battlements on the top might have stately railes of stone besides other ornaments and Pinacles There was a magnificent entrance into it raised by many steps out of the Area of the Priests Court This Porch viz. the arched Portal Solomon overlaid within with pure gold 2 Chron. 3.4 That is gilded it all over it having plates of silver underneath For David is said to have provided seven thousand talents of refined silver to overlay the walls of the houses withal 1 Chron. 29.4 Thus it took its denomination of gold from the metal which was most precious and most visible on the surface of it And so all the several rooms of the Temple might be overlaid with pure gold The Porch with leaf the inward house with plate the Holy of Holies with the most refined gold of Parvaim The Holy or inward House had forty cubits in length the breadth twenty cubits 2. The Sanctuary or inward house or middle part between the Porch and the Oracle adaequate to the general dimensions of the Temple For the wall the out-side of it which was expos'd to open view was as is conceiv'd of white polisht marble or made of some excellent stone for strength and the timber and boards within were all Cedar The Cedar was curiously carved with the Imagery of Flowers Palmes and Cherubims and those figures being outwardly imbossed with visible prominences the plates of gold being of the purest and most flexible metal applied themselves so close to each line in the Sculpture that they set it off and expressed the carved work with advantage abating nothing of the art and adding much to the beauty and richness thereof 1 King 6.18 29. And in some select places as it seems it was most gloriously adorn'd and garnisht with precious stones 2 Chron. 3.6 For Solomon intended this Temple should be very glorious it being built for the honour of the all-glorious God Of the same curiosity for carving were the two doors with folding leaves made of firr-tree and overlaid with gold which led out of the Porch into the Temple The workmanship of these doors and the wall being in all particulars so alike that when they were shut no breach appeared in them Posts of Olive-tree four square were made for these doors to turn upon 1 King 6. from the 31 to the 36. The floor hereof was made of boards of Firr and they were faced and all overlaid with gold 1 King 6.15 30 * V.
acception for those Countries that lay beyond Jordan but Westward something Southward and that some of them were already come to Engedi a City on the West-side of that Sea Jehoshaphat was hereat much startled and being greatly afraid he set himself to seek help from the Lord and proclaimed a †See Judg. 20.26 1 Sam. 7.6 Ezra 8.21 23. Neh. 1.4.9.11 Esth 4.9 Fast throughout all Judah that they might all joyn in humbling thomselves before the Lord and earnest supplication to him for mercy and so their prayers might be the more prevalent and effectual And Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the Cities and Towns that belong'd to Jehoshaphat's jurisdiction and came to Jerusalem to the Temple to seek the Lord and to beg help of him And Jehoshaphat stood before this great Assembly probably upon the Brazen Scaffold in the great Court (a) We read Chap. 15.8 that Asa renewed the Altar of the Lord which stood in this Court He might also repair the whole Court Or perhaps Jehoshaphat himself had done it Others understand it of the Court of the people which had been lately repaired and perhaps divided into two Courts the one being appointed for the men and the other for the women For though when Solomon built it it was but one Court yet afterwards they say it was divided into two where the people used to meet which was before the Priests Court newly repaired and beautified and prayed unto the Lord saying O Lord God of our Fathers art not thou God in heaven and rulest thou not over all the Kingdoms of the heathen and in thy hand is there not power and might so that none is able to withstand thee Art not thou our God who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend * This Title is three times given to Abraham here and Isa 41.8 and Jam. 2.3 Thus our Saviour stiled Lazarus Friends Joh. 11.11 and his Disciples Friends Joh. 15.15 for ever †That is to the coming of the Messiah And they dwell therein and have built a Temple therein for the honour of thy name and they humbly desired of thee when they consecrated it 1 King 8.30 that if any evil came upon them at any time as the sword pestilence or famine or any other dreadful judgment and they stood before this house in which thy name is call'd upon and cried unto thee in their affliction that then thou wouldst please to hear and help them And now behold O Lord the children of Moab and Ammon and Mount Seir whom thou wouldst not permit Israel to invade when they came out of the land of Egypt but didst command them to turn from them and not to destroy them behold how they now reward us who are coming in this hostile manner to cast us out of the possession which thou hast given us O our God wilt not thou judge them and punish them for this As for our selves we must needs acknowledg that we have no might or power comparatively to resist this vast body of people that cometh against us we know not what to do but our eyes are upon thee on thee only we rest and depend and from thee alone we humbly expect help Thus all Judah for some from every place were there present stood before the Lord with their wives and little ones For in times of publick humiliations they us'd to bring their little ones to the publick assemblies see Joel 2.16 that their own bowels might be the more moved at the sight of their children now in danger to be cruelly butchered by the enemy and so their hearts might be stirred up to be more serious and earnest in their supplications to God for help Immediately the spirit of Prophesie fell upon Jehaziel a Levite of the Sons of Asaph as he stood in midst of the Congregation and he spake to the King and all the Congregation Thus saith the Lord Be not afraid nor dismaid by reason of this great multitude for the battel is not yours but Gods God himself will fight for you he will not so much as use you for instruments to vanquish this great host To morrow go ye down against them behold they come by the cliff of Ziz and ye shall find them at the end of the valley before the wilderness of Israel Ye shall not need to fight in this battel Compose your selves quietly to expect the deliverance that God will give you Stand ye still fly upon your enemies you shall see the salvation of the Lord will be with you and he will deliver you therefore fear not nor be dismaid Jehoshaphat hearing this joyful news bowed his head with his face to the ground and all the people also fell down before the Lord and worshipped him and the Levite-singers stood up to praise the Lord with an high and loud voice accounting the victory already gotten because promised by one of the Lords Prophets And so they departed with great comfort for that time The next morning they rose very early and marched forth into the Wilderness of Tekoa betwixt which and Israel was the Cliff of Ziz and as they marched forth Jehoshaphat said to them Believe and trust in the Lord your God so shall ye be established and your minds setled believe his Prophets particularly what Jahaziel yesterday prophesied unto you and so shall ye prosper And when he had consulted with the Commanders of the Army what was fit for them to do he as being by faith assured of the victory appointed some of the Levite-singers to go before the Army and to sing the high praises of God and to praise the Lord in whom is the beauty and perfection of holiness * V. 21. Some by the beauty of holiness understand Gods most holy Majesty who dwelleth in Heaven where is the beauty of Holiness and to do it according to that beautiful and holy order that was prescribed in the Temple and especially to sing praise ye the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever which was the foot of several Psalmes of Thanksgiving composed by David and particularly of the 136 Psalm It might seem a strange thing for an Army to march against a potent enemy in such a manner as this but Jehoshaphat firmly relying on what God had promised he found the success answering his faith for when the Levites began to sing praises unto the Lord and as it were to triumph before hand for the victory promised the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir that is sent a spirit of discord and dissention among them so that the Ammonites and Moabites suspecting those of Mount Seir * The Edomites that join'd now with the Moabites and Ammonites against Jehoshaphat might be only some voluntarie mercenaries not sent out by the State of Edom that was in subjection to the Kingdom of Judah and it seems they
carried to Babylon This being done for the present he enjoys the Kingship and Priesthood Herod in the mean time flying to Rome he is made through Anthony's power with the Senate King of the Jews and getting some forces there with them he returns into Judea and conquers and takes Antigonus and sends him to Anthony who causes him to be put to death And so the Kingdom of Maccabees ended 126 years after it began After this Herod and his successors or the Romans made whom they would High Priests See Lightf p. 30. Capellus's Chronolog p. 29. Julius Caesar having gotten the Dictatorship or supreme Government of the Romans into his hands about forty seven years before the Birth of Christ began the Roman or fourth Monarchy and continued it about five years and so was the first Roman Emperour To him succeeded Octavius Augustus who began to reign about forty two years before the Birth of Christ and reigned about fifty six years but the first twelve of them he governed together with M. Anthony and M. Lepidus they three making the Triumvirate the latter forty four he reigned alone In the 31th year * Aliqui aliter computant asserunt Christum natum 41 An. Imperii Augusti Annoque Mundi 3948. of his reign reckoning the beginning of it from his victory at Actium our blessed Saviour was born and in the 35th year of the reign of Herod The third Roman Emperour was Tiberius in the 18th year of whose reign our Lord and Saviour was Crucified HAving thus given a general view of the Jewish Affairs from the end of the Old Testament to the Birth of Christ we shall now speak a little more largely of that subject collecting for the main our History thereof out of the Books of the Maccabees and the writings of Josephus and other Modern Authors who have written of those times and particulariy out of the Annals of the renowned Vsher To Artaxerxes Longimanus succeeded Darius Nothus in the Persian Empire and to him Artaxerxes Mnemon and to him Darius Ochus who marching with a great army against Sidon in Phaenicia which had revolted from him and confederated with Egypt the City was betrayed into his hands by Tennes the King thereof and Mentor who commanded the Egyptian Auxiliaries The Citizens seeing themselves betrayed in a mad passion set a fire to their houses and burnt themselves wives and children and servants so that above forty thousand are said to have perished in the flames He now marches with his army towards Egypt and takes Jericho in his way and takes many Jews along with him out of Judea to serve him in his wars against Egypt Having conquered Egypt and returning to Babylon full of glory and spoils he carried thither with him many of the Jews prisoners sending most of them into Hircania bordering upon the Caspian Sea and some he placed in Babylon it self Jonathan or Johanan the Son of Joiada being High Priest at this time had a Brother whose name was Josua this Josua grew into great favour with Bagoses Ochus's General insomuch that he had a promise from him that he should have the Priesthood Upon this he was so puft up that he presumed to strive with his Brother Johanan the High Priest in the very Temple and so far provoked him that the High Priest kill'd him in that sacred place Bagoses hearing this endeavoured to enter the Temple and when he was forbidden he askt if they accounted him more impure than the carcass that lay within And so forcibly entring the Temple he plundred it and thence took occasion to punish the Jews seven years for the death of Josua for two Lambs being constantly offered in the daily sacrifice he imposed upon every one a tribute of fifty drachms which amounted to the yearly rate of sixty Attick Talents Joseph Lib. 11. Chap. 7. Johanan the High Priest was Father of Jaddus who succeeded him in the Priesthood and of Manasses who married Nicaso Sanballat's daughter Neh. 13.28 It 's said one of the Sons that is Grandsons of Joiada Son of Eliashib was Son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite This Sanballat was a Cuthaean by birth from whom the Samaritans had their original and was by Darius King of Persia made Governour of Samaria and being desirous by this band of affinity to hold in the better with the Jewish Nation he gave his daughter in marriage to Manasses Ochus being poysoned by Bagoses his General and Arses or Arsames his Son set up by him and shortly after by him killed with all his children at last Bagoses set up Darius Codomannus a friend of his and made him King the Royal family of Darius Histaspis being now extinct Bagoses shortly after repenting of what he had done and being much vers'd in King-killing he thought by poyson to send Darius also after Ochus and Arses But the matter being discovered Darius sent for him and forc'd him to drink the potion himself which he had provided for him The Elders at Jerusalem being offended that Manasses Jaddus's Brother had contrary to their Law married a wife of a strange Nation required that he should either put her away or come no more at the Altar Hereupon he goes to Sanballat his father-in-law and tells him that his wife was dear unto him but he must either part with her or his Priesthood Sanballat answered that he would so bring it about in case he would keep his wife that he should not only be a Priest but an High Priest too For he would build for him upon Mount Gerizim a Temple like that at Jerusalem to do which he doubted not but to obtain leave and authority from Darius Hereupon Manasses continued with his father-in-law and all the Priests and other Israelites who had married strange wives resorted to him Sanballat furnishing them with money and giving them lands to till and forwarding the ambition of his Son-in-law all that possibly he could Joseph Antiq. Lib. 11. Cap. 8. Alexander of Macedon now contends with Darius for the Empire of Asia and having won the Battels at Granicus and Issus and driven Darius back into Persia he lays siege to Tyre Sanballat revolts from Darius and goes over to Alexander at the beginning of the siege with 8000 men and desireth leave of him to build his new designed Temple perswading him it would he for his interest that thereby the Jews being divided among themselves might be the less able to resist him Alexander yielding to his request he returns and falls with great industry upon the work and built the Temple and made Manasses his Son-in-law High Priest of it thinking thereby to leave a great honour to the posterity of his daughter During the siege of Tyre Alexander sent to Jaddus the High Priest at Jerusalem demanding of him supplies and other provisions and withal such tribute as was formerly paid to Darius Jaddus answered that he was tyed by a former oath of Allegiance to Darius and that he could not be free from
told the King that he was solicited by Mariamne to deliver unto him a love-potion which whatsoever it was he had by him Hereupon Herod examined the most faithful servants of Mariamne by torture who confessed nothing but that she was offended at something that Sohemus had declared to her which when the King heard he cried out that Sohemus who had been ever faithful to him would never have revealed those things to her had there not been some more secret familiarity between them than was fit and thereupon commanded Sohemus immediately to be put to death Then calling a Council of his friends he there accused his wife for practising to poyson him they perceiving the Kings mind by general consent condemned her and so she was put to death the execution being hastened by Solome's instigation When she was dead Herod was almost mad for grief that the deed was done for he loved her extreamly neither could he by any delights or feastings divert his Melancholy but was forc'd to yield to his grief and his passion prevailing upon him he would often bid his servants call Mariamne as though she were alive So that casting off the care of his Kingdom he retired to Samaria called then Sebaste in honour of Augustus which was called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the splendor of his dignity and the honour they gave him something greater than humane As Herod was thus affected there came a Plague which swept away a great part both of the Nobility and people this being interpreted as a judgment from God for the unjust death of the Queen Herod's discontents increasing he at last fell into a great sickness so that his Physicians almost despaired of him During his sickness Alexandra now living at Jerusalem endeavoured to get the two Castles of the City into her own hands one of them joined to the Temple the other was within the City and dealt with the Governours of them to that purpose that they would deliver them to her for the children of Mariamne lest if the King should die they should be seized on by others But the Governours being faithful to Herod sent Messengers presently to him to acquaint him with Alexandra's design who thereupon ordered she should forthwith be put to death Then recovering from his sickness he returned to Jerusalem but was grown so cruel that he was ready for the least cause to put any one to death A difference arising between Costobarus an Idumean and his wife Solome the sister of Herod she contrary to the custom of the Jews sent him a bill of divorce and accused him to Herod that he with Lysimachus Antipater and Dositheus were practising some innovations upon which Herod sent and slew them with others that were conceived to be of their party endeavouring that none should remain of the kindred of Hircanus or indeed any other persons of worth and power that might resist him Herod now departed more and more from his Countries custom violating them with strange inventions for he instituted wrestlings every fifth year in honour of Caesar for the exhibiting of which he built a Theater in Jerusalem and an Amphitheater in the Plain both of them very sumptuous for the workmanship but clean contrary to the Jewish customs To these he invited all such as were skill'd in wrestling and that excelled in Musick and playing on instruments And hanging his Theater with Trophies much distasted the people as being principled by their Religion against Pictures Ten Citizens of Jerusalem about that time conspiring against him were discovered and put to death In the thirteenth year of his reign that he might be more secure from Conspiracies he began to fortifie Samaria called Sebaste Also he built another fort as a bridle to the Nation namely the Tower of Straton and in Galilee Galalus in Poraea Esthmonitis which Castles being so conveniently placed he by them kept the people in awe This year very grievous calamities befell the Country of the Jews 1. There was a continual drought upon which a famine followed and after that the plague Herod upon this to supply the publick necessities took and melted all the gold and silver that was in the Palace not sparing any thing though of never so costly workmanship nay not his own vessels that were for his daily use Having made money of all he sent it into Egypt where at that time under Caesar Petronius was Governour who though he had multitudes who at that time fled to him for the like necessity yet being Herod's friend he readily gave his men leave to export corn assisting them both in the buying and in the carriage of it When the corn was come into Judea Herod very carefully divided it first to such who were most in need and took care that the ancient and sickly should not want and by this means he recovered himself into the affections and good liking of the people again He also provided for his subjects against the sharpness of winter that none should want clothing for their cattel being dead their wool and other things failed He helped also the Neighbour-cities of the Syrians with corn so that by his providence and bounty he began to be renowned both at home and abroad He now marries another Mariamne esteemed the most beautiful woman of that age the daughter of Simon a Priest whom he preferred to the High-Priesthood putting out Jesus the Son of Phabes After this he imployed his time and treasure in sumptuous and royal buildings as particularly that of Caesarea formerly called the Tower of Straton which he began in the sixteenth year of his reign and in twelve years finished it He built for himself also a Palace in Sion very stately and a Town about sixteen furlongs from Jerusalem which he called Herodion He now sends his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus whom he had by Mariamne the Asmonaean to Rome to Caesar to be there brought up for whom their lodging was prepar'd at Pollio's house the great friend of Herod Caesar entertained the young men very courteously and gave Herod power to make which of his Sons he pleased heir of his Kingdom Augustus gave the Tetrarchy of Zenodorus to Herod which was seated between Galilee and Trachona he made him also one of the Governours of Syria and commanded the Governours of that Province to do nothing without his advice Herod also begged a Tetrarchy of Caesar for his Brother Pheroras on whom he bestowed an hundred Talents out of the revenues of his own Kingdom At Panium near the Fountain-heads of Jordan he built a goodly Temple in honour of Caesar of white marble He remitted also to his subjects some part of their Tribute under colour that they should have some ease after the dearth but indeed to appease their minds which he saw were offended at such kind of buildings which seemed to tend to nothing but the destruction of Religion and good manners To prevent disturbances he forbad private meetings and too frequent feastings He
Administrator of the Kingdom who was an enemy to Herod because he denyed him his Sister Salome to Wife and he granted them a place well fortified Herod being returned into Judea he called the Chief men of the Jews together and told them what had passed in his late Voyage and declared unto them that his Sons should reign after him first Antipater then Alexander and then Aristobulus whom he had by Mariamne Caesarea Stratonis was now finished in the 28th year of his reign for the Dedication of which there were very solemn and most pompous Preparations Musicians and Wrestlers and Sword-Players and Wild Beasts and whatever was in account of that kind either at Rome or in other Nations being now brought thither These sports were consecrated to Cesar and to be renewed every fifth year The day he spent in Sports and the night in Banquets and Revellings and so between both he spent his time very well After this he began to build another Town in a Field called Capharsala which after his Fathers name he called Antipatris and a Castle which after his Mothers name he called Cyprus In honour also of his dead Brother he built a fair Town which he called Phasaelus in the valley of Jericho from whence the Country thereabouts is called Phasaelis Having wasted his wealth by his extravagant expences and now wanting money after the example of John Hircanus by night without the knowledge of the people he opened Davids Sepulchre in which he found no money but store of costly attire and Ornaments of Gold which he took away After this 't was observed that his Family was grievously afflicted nothing being heard among them but Broils and Accusations one of another As for Antipater he accused and calumniated his Brother Alexander insomuch that his Father committed him to Prison Those of Trachonitis who had fled to Syllaeus being encreased in number infested not only Judea but Coelosyria also with Inrodes and Incursions Syllaeus is hereupon complained of by Herod to Saturnius and Volumnius Presidents of Syria Herod requires the 60 Talents which he had lent Obodas King of Arabia under Syllaeus's Security and demands also That the Plunderers protected by him should be delivered up The matter being debated before the Presidents they determined that Herods demands were reasonable and that Syllaeus should perform them Syllaeus unwilling to stand this their Determination went to Rome The Presidents therefore gave Herod leave to enter Arabia with an Army and to prosecute those obstinate people there which he accordingly did and suddenly took the Castle which those Plunderers kept But an Arabian Captain with his forces coming to their aid Herod joyns Battel with him and overthrows him the Captain himself being slain and his forces routed But Letters were speeded to Rome to Syllaeus which represented things far otherwise and aggravated every thing in so odious a manner that Cesar by those Lyes and such false representations as Syllaeus had made unto him was so incensed against Herod that he wrote to him menacing Letters because he had presumed to march with an Army out of his own Kingdom and thrice denyed his Ambassadors audience that were sent by him to acquaint him with the true State of things The Rebels and Arabians taking hold of this occasion did him much mischief which he was glad to put up for the present for fear of further provoking Cesar but sent Nicholas Damascenus to Rome to plead his cause who so laid open Syllaeus's Forgeries and how he had circumvented the Emperor in the cause of Herod that Cesar condemned Syllaeus remanding him again into the Province that when he had satisfied the Debt before mentioned he might be punished and was perfectly reconciled to Herod Whilst Herod was thus out with Cesar the former discords in his Family were exceedingly heightned by the Artifices of Eurichus a Lacedemonian who winding himself into Alexanders acquaintance betrayed him first to Antipater and then to Herod himself Herod making inquiry into his Sons actions put to death by the vehemency of Tortures many both of his own and his Sons Friends Alexander being examined denyed all Accusations except that he intended with his Wife to fly to Archelaus King of Cappadocia her Father Herod sends Letters to Cesar complaining of his Sons and desires his Imperial Majesty to give him direction what to do in that difficult affair The Emperor returns answer That he should call a Council at Beritus and joyn with them the Presidents of Syria and Archelaus King of Cappadocia and other Noble men his Friends and that they should together determine concerning that matter Herod hereupon convened all those Cesar had appointed except only Archelaus to Berytus and in an Assembly of 150 Men declaimed most furiously against his Sons not producing any Proof at all more than that they intended to fly and not suffering them to be present to answer for themselves Saturninus who had been Consul and had run through all honours gave his opinion that the Sons of Herod were to be condemned but not to be put to death and his three Sons were of the same opinion But Volumnius declared that they ought to be punished with death whose opinion the major part followed Then the King took his Sons along with him to Tyre where an old Soldier named Tyro smartly reprehended him for the severity intended towards his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus being led to Sebaste were there strangled by their Fathers command and their bodies buried in the Castle Alexandrion where Alexander their Grandfather by their Mothers side and many others of their Progenitors were buried Antipater after the death of his Brothers began now to plot the Destruction of his Father and drew Pheroras the Brother of Herod to his side and some of the Kings Women that were most addicted to the Sect of the Pharisees but not Salome who constantly adhered to her Brother Herod The Pharisees had refused to swear fealty to the King who being for this fined the Wife of Pheroras paid their Fine to whom in requital they being accounted wise to know things to come they foretold that the Kingdom should be taken from Herod and his Children and should be transferred on her and that her Husband and their Children These things Salome made known to Herod and they had sollicited and corrupted many of his Courtiers with Bribes in which fault Herod having taken some of the Pharisees he put them to death and some others also whom he found had conspired with them Then he urged Pheroras to put away his Wife which he refusing to do he forbad Antipater Pheroras's company Antipater that he might remove all suspicion of his Father from him procured by his Friends at Rome to be sent for thither by Cesar He accordingly going Herod sent by him great Presents and his Will in which he declared that Antipater should be King but if he died then Herod his Son by Mariamne daughter of Simon the High Priest Pheroras being banished